I can remember it all very well, because I woke that day feeling different. I supposed it to be excitement for the Baisakhi Festival or maybe just the special energy one experiences on a new spring morning — one of those mornings when the first thing you feel is a cheerfulness and a gratefulness for being alive.

Members of the public also got a taste of Sikh culture and heritage from a photo exhibition featuring Sikh buildings and heritage in Pakistan, where Guru Nanak's birthplace is, to turban tying stations. Around 150 representatives from various religious groups in Singapore also attended the event.

On this Thanksgiving Day, why would I feel thankful for the martyrdom of a spiritual lighthouse — a Guru? His sacrifice underlines one of the most fundamental principles of human existence: ensuring the right of everyone to breathe free.